Serbian Patriarch Irinej in Wupperthal

After the session of the Diocesan administration board and the Diocesan council of the Diocese of Middle Europe in Himmelstier, His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, visited on 30 March 2013 the Serbian Orthodox church-school congregation in Wupperthal, North-Rhine Westphalia on his way to Belgrade.

His Holiness visits Diocese of Middle Europe

His Holiness Irinej, Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch, in capacity of the administrator, visited the Diocese of Middle Europe for the second time in the last two months.

His Holiness arrived in Frankfurt on Wednesday, 27 March, at the airport where he was welcomed by bishop’s deputy, protopresbyter-stavrophor Milan Pejic and the head of Frankfurt’s church protonamesnik Simon Turkic. Following the arrival, Serbian Patriarch visited a new church building of our Holy Church in Frankfurt. The clergy of the Diocesan deanery for South Germany and many believers gathered at the church to welcome the Patriarch.

Theodor Saturday and Sunday of Orthodoxy in Nis

In the first week of the Great Lent, also called the Sunday of Orthodoxy because we remember the triumph of the Orthodox Church over the iconoclasts, His Grace Bishop Jovan of Nis served the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral church in Nis. The clergy of the Cathedral church concelebrated to the Bishop. According to the ancient praxis at the end of the Liturgy the procession with icons around the church was performed and the Synodikон, which has been read in the Orthodox Church since 843 A.D.

Audience at the Serbian Patriarchate – 27 March 2013

His Holiness Irinej met with Mr.  Andrey Efimov, Acting Head of the UN Office in Belgrade, at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade.

Synodikon of Orthodoxy

A yearly thanksgiving is due to God on account of that day when we recovered the Church of God, with the demonstration of the dogmas of true religion and the overthrowing of the blasphemies of wickedness.

Following prophetic sayings, yielding to apostolic exhortations, and standing on the foundation of the accounts in the Gospels, we make festival on this day of dedication.  For Isaias says that the islands will be dedicated to God, meaning, [by the islands,] the churches from the nations and, by churches, not splendid church buildings, but the fullness of those who perform acts of reverence in them and worship the divine with hymns and praises.  The Apostle recommends the same thing, when he commands us to walk in newness of life, and—by saying that if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation —to be renewed.

Sunday of Orthodoxy in Vienna

In the Diocese of Austria-Switzerland on Sunday of Orthodoxy the remembrance of the victory of the Holy Church over iconoclasm was celebrated. His Grace Bishop Dr. Irinej of Backa, the Administrator of the Diocese of Austria and Switzerland, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Vienna’s church of the Resurrection of Christ in the presence of concelebrating priests and pious people.